Natural Phenomena
Volcanic Lightning
Atmospheric Optics
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Lightning generated within the ash plume of an erupting volcano, produced when fragments of ash, ice and rock collide and rub against each other in the turbulent plume, building up static electrical charge much as ice particles do in an ordinary thunderstorm. It can occur near the vent itself or higher in the plume, and dramatic displays have been recorded at eruptions including Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull in 2010 and Chile's Calbuco in 2015.
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Volcanic lightning is generated within the ash-rich eruption plume itself, produced by charge separation among colliding ash particles and ice during an explosive eruption.
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